Lewes Area Guide

What’s it like to live in Lewes? 

Lewes is a beautiful country town – a mixture of the rare and charming, so typically Sussex, famous for the country’s best bonfire party. Still, the one-hour commute to London and the mix of medieval, Georgian and Victorian houses and cottages attract plenty of homebuyers to the area.

Lewes is a market town of small, specialist, independent retailers, and on certain days, the subtle aromas wafting from Harvey’s Brewery will attract any visitor to Cliffe High Street.

Bookshops, boutiques and antique centres sit alongside individual craft workshops, and the restaurants, cafes, and pubs offer delicious choices all year round with real emphasis on local produce.

Its medieval streets, old English churches, and tiny twittens (a Sussex word for alleyway) allow visitors to glimpse the true essence of bygone Lewes.

For more information about Lewes, contact our agent Jonathan Crawford Jones.

Location

Lewes is situated in a gap in the South Downs, cut through by the River Ouse and near its confluence with the Winterbourne Stream. It is approximately seven miles north of Newhaven and an equal distance northeast of Brighton.

Things to do

A short drive from Lewes reveals an abundance of tourist attractions, making Lewes an attractive base for a short break.
Lewes Castle, nearly 1,000 years old, this castle offers fantastic views of the medieval streets below.

No visit to Lewes is complete without spending some time in the Needlemakers with its ancient brickwork, massive beams and echoes of a fascinating industrial past.
Plumpton Racecourse is one of the smallest in the country and therefore offers excellent views across the whole course in its 16 race days between September and May.

Continuing the theme of the view, Ditchling Beacon is the highest point in East Sussex and the perfect landmark to take in Lewes’ South Downs area.

Take a family day out at Drusillas Park, widely known as the best small zoo in Europe, less than 10 miles from Lewes.